This application is based on patent application No. 9-330832 filed in Japan, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication equipment having multiple communication functions, a communication route selection method, and a computer program product in memory for selecting a communication route.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When information is sent to the receiving party, it is generally sent depending on the communication function equipped on the communication equipment of the receiving party. For example, in case the receiving equipment has the facsimile function (will be termed xe2x80x9cFAX functionxe2x80x9d hereinafter), information is sent by use of its FAX function. In case the receiving equipment has the electronic mail function (will be termed xe2x80x9cE-mail functionxe2x80x9d hereinafter), information is sent by use of its E-mail function. In case the receiving equipment has the Internet FAX function, information is sent by use of its Internet FAX function. In case the sending equipment and receiving equipment are connected through a LAN (local area network), information can be sent by use of the LAN.
Some communication equipments developed recently have multiple communication functions among the above-mentioned FAX function, E-mail function, Internet FAX function, and LAN connecting function. In the case of communication between these multi-functional communication equipment, the sending party is allowed to send information by choosing a proper communication function of the receiving equipment, instead of installing plural communication equipments having different functions.
These multi-functional communication equipment allow the sending party to choose a communication function depending on individual communication purposes. For example, for low-cost communication, the expensive FAX communication can be avoided. For retaining the high-quality image transfer, the LAN connecting function or E-mail function can be used. In the latter case, however, communication based on E-mail cannot be achieved unless the receiving person operates the computer to open the mail box. In contrast, the FAX communication produces a print of information on the receiving equipment, and it can be handed to the receiving person. Accordingly, the FAX communication can possibly be faster practically than the E-mail communication, and the former may be chosen occasionally.
The Internet FAX function will be explained. Insending information by using FAX, the telephone line fee is charged, and therefore the communication fee depends on the distance between a sending party and a receiving party. A conceivable manner of low-cost communication to a distant receiving party is the use of the Internet, and it is called xe2x80x9cInternet FAX functionxe2x80x9d.
It is assumed that the sending party has FAX unit F1, intermediate FAX units F2 and F3 are connected through the Internet, and the receiving party has FAX unit F4, of which F1 and F2 are located in town A, and F3 and F4 are located in remote town B. In this situation, information is sent from F1 to F2 in the same town over the telephone line, it is sent from F2 to F3 through the Internet, and it is sent from F3 to F4 in the same town over the telephone line. This information sending manner enables a low communication fee based on the use of the Internet for long-distance communication between town A and town B.
Among other information sending manners, the sending party can connect its FAX F1 directly to the Internet, or the sending party can connect its FAX F1 to the LAN which has the connection with the Internet.
Although multi-functional communication units allow the sending party to choose the best communication function based on the judgement of situation as explained above, the conventionally available multi-functional communication equipment do not inform the sending party of what communication function has the receiving equipment, or as to whether the receiving equipment has a communication function that matches with the function of the self equipment, causing the sending party to be troubled in choosing a communication function or to send information by using a function that is not the best.
A prime object of the present invention is to provide an innovative communication equipment capable of sending information from the sending equipment to the receiving equipment based on the selection of a proper communication route from among multiple available communication routes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an innovative communication equipment capable of sending information from the sending equipment to the receiving equipment based on the finding of multiple communication routes that are available between these equipments and the selection of a communication route among the found communication routes.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of selecting a communication route among multiple communication routes that are available between the sending equipment and receiving equipment.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer program product in memory for implementing the process of selecting a communication route among multiple communication routes that are available between the sending equipment and receiving equipment.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.